March 22 Is Diabetes Alert Day

Health Tips on Diabetes and Vision from Lighthouse Guild

NEW YORK - For millions of people in the United States who have diabetes or pre-diabetes, improving health and avoiding diabetes-related complications is essential. One of the most common and serious complications of diabetes is vision loss. The good news is that there are steps that will help reduce risk and preserve eyesight. Lighthouse Guild, the leading vision and healthcare organization, offers the following tips:  

Take control. Have regular physical exams with your physician and regular comprehensive dilated eye examinations with an ophthalmologist or optometrist.  A comprehensive eye exam can help detect diabetes as well as many other health issues. In its early stages, diabetic eye disease often has no symptoms. By regularly monitoring eye health, treatment can begin as soon as signs of disease appear helping to prevent vision loss.   

Don't delay. See an eye care professional immediately if there are any sudden changes in vision. 

Get support. Joining a diabetes support group is a good way to learn from others and share experiences. Lighthouse Guild’s self-management diabetes education program, which is approved by the American Diabetes Association, offers individual and group sessions providing practical techniques for taking medications, strategies for monitoring blood sugar, and essential tips on making healthy lifestyle changes.

Lighthouse Guild Certified Diabetes Educator Courtney Darsa says, “Our goal is to help people stay healthy and avoid complications such as diabetic retinopathy and vision loss. Taking steps such as increasing vegetables and fiber in the diet, drinking more water, and exercise can make a real difference.”

Learn more. Join Lighthouse Guild for a presentation on diabetes and vision health on Monday, March 25, 2019, at 11 am, at Goddard Riverside at Lincoln Square Neighborhood Center, 250 West 65th Street in Manhattan. Topics will include: trends in diagnosis and treatment; medical management of diabetes and related eye conditions; tips on healthy eating, exercise and lifestyle, and low vision rehabilitation. For more information contact, Mary Simmons at 212-874-8661

About Lighthouse Guild
Lighthouse Guild is the leading organization dedicated to addressing and preventing vision loss. For more information, visit Lighthouseguild.org.